Accenture & Snowflake launch joint AI data unit

Accenture and Snowflake have created a joint business group that will focus on generative AI and data services for large enterprises, with industrial giant Caterpillar among the first named clients.

The Accenture Snowflake Business Group will bring together Snowflake's AI Data Cloud platform and Accenture's consulting and industry teams. The partners say the new unit will focus on business model reinvention, AI-based applications and cloud data infrastructure.

The initiative builds on a partnership between the two companies that already serves hundreds of organisations. It formalises that work inside Accenture and introduces shared investment in people, tools and client delivery.

The business group will sit across multiple sectors. It will target clients that want to centralise data on Snowflake's platform and develop AI models and applications on top of that data.

Accenture will supply consulting, implementation and managed services. Snowflake will provide the underlying data and AI technology, including newer services such as Snowflake Intelligence and Snowflake Cortex AI.

New joint unit

The new unit will have more than 5,000 SnowPro-certified Accenture specialists. The companies describe this as the largest certified pool of Snowflake practitioners in the current market.

These staff will support cloud migrations, data architecture work and AI deployments. They will also focus on designing AI-ready data estates and on operationalising models.

Accenture will also apply its AI Refinery platform within the group. This platform structures and prepares client data for AI use and for automated agents.

Snowflake's platform centralises enterprise data in a single cloud environment. It then exposes that data for analytics and for generative AI services.

Manish Sharma, Chief Strategy and Services Officer at Accenture, said many enterprises now face structural change pressures.

"In today's rapidly evolving market, companies are under immense pressure to reinvent their operations and business models to stay ahead," said Manish Sharma, Chief Strategy and Services Officer, Accenture. "The Accenture Snowflake Business Group will help clients to better leverage Snowflake's unique foundation of reliable, accessible, contextualized data, coupled with Accenture's ability to unlock the power of advanced AI for clients faster."

Snowflake chief executive Sridhar Ramaswamy said the two firms have already worked together at scale.

"Our partnership with Accenture has empowered hundreds of organizations to unlock AI's potential and reveal previously unimaginable insights," said Sridhar Ramaswamy, CEO, Snowflake. "The Accenture Snowflake Business Group combines Accenture's industry-leading business reinvention experience with Snowflake's enterprise-ready, easy, connected, and trusted platform. This collaboration enables enterprises to achieve their full potential with AI and data, transforming how they harness data to build next-generation AI-powered applications, drive better decision-making, and maximize their data's potential for AI innovation."

Caterpillar project

Caterpillar is one of the first large manufacturers named under the expanded partnership. The company is working with Accenture and Snowflake on a programme that aims to use operational data across its global business.

The project links Caterpillar's IT AI Centre of Excellence with Accenture's industrial and data teams and Snowflake's AI tools. The partners plan to apply AI to manufacturing quality, finance reporting and field service knowledge.

Caterpillar expects the work to influence factory performance and financial decision-making. The project also aims to support knowledge management for complex maintenance and engineering tasks.

Jamie Engstrom, CIO at Caterpillar, said the work represents a shift in the firm's AI plans.

"Our work with Accenture and Snowflake marks a major step forward in our journey to become a truly AI-and-data-driven organization," said Jamie Engstrom, CIO, Caterpillar. "Our collaboration, coupled with the Caterpillar IT AI COE, will allow us to make faster, data-informed decisions that improve efficiency, enhance quality, and deliver greater value."

Centre of Excellence

Accenture and Snowflake will also invest in a joint global Centre of Excellence. This hub will host mixed teams from both companies and will work directly with client personnel.

The Centre will focus on rapid testing of new AI and data tools. It will also develop reusable assets and solution templates that clients can adopt across their organisations.

The partners expect the Centre to play a role in governance as well as innovation. It will bring together specialists in data management, security, regulation and AI engineering.

The new group will use Accenture's wider ecosystem relationships. It will also link into Accenture's industry practices in sectors such as financial services, healthcare, retail and industrials.

Accenture research cited by the companies points to rising AI budgets across large firms. According to the survey, 85% of c-suite leaders plan to increase AI investments this year, while 67% see AI mainly as a revenue driver rather than a cost-cutting measure.

The partners say they expect demand for combined AI and data services to grow as enterprises move more workloads into the cloud and seek tighter integration between operational systems and AI models.

Accenture and Snowflake plan to expand the business group's sector coverage and regional presence over time. They also expect additional client case studies to emerge as more projects move into production.